DL's BEAR COUNTRY's MOONSHINE RUN

Does anyone have any info on the mid 1970's plan for a flume Ride in Disneyland's Bear Country called "Wallahoo-Haler" and "Moonshine Falls" or "Moonshine Run"?? An employee forum photo at the Disneyland Opera House in 1975 shows an image that was a Marc Davis America Sings Moonshine still and Fox.....and animals firing riffles above guests heads in a "Haddfields & McCoys type fuede. This was NOT Splash Mountain nor Western River Expedition. However this is obviously what evolved into Spash Mountain.


DL FLIGHT 295
aka
DC-88 SPACELINER

 

WOW! That sounds kinda cool...Where did you see this photo, DL? And How can I get a look at it

I havent heard of this attraction though. Have you tried writing to Jim Hill at JimHillmedia.com? He might be able to answer your questions.

Its funny that Splash Mountain might have come from this, Tony Baxter has been accused of stealing from Marc Davis before. Apparently, The idea for Big Thunder was a shelved Davis idea that "suddenly" became a green lit Baxter idea.

Im not saying I believe the rumor...thats just what I heard. And this is an interesting coincidence.

 

I saw some artwork on this back when we were pitching the Critter Country 500, to try & save the Bear Band back in the late 90s. Rolly Crump was driving it, and he had someone ape Marc Davis style (not very well) for the concept sketches. It was really 1/2 Splash Mountain & 1/2 Bear Band, so how Splash happened isn't that far removed. I wouldn't say Tony B ripped Marc off, just a similar project that had been shelved (Rolly Crump said it was killed by executives in a big meeting he had to pitch the darn thing)...

 

I have said this before elsewhere, but it would appear that the ULTIMATE origin of Splash Mountain was a dark ride at Six Flags Over Georgia from 1967-80. Theirs was called "Tales of the Okefenokee," and featured many eerily similar animated dioramas. It even had a flume/splash, although in its case the splashdown came in the middle of the trip instead of at the end. Someone I know did once confirm that Tony Baxter visited the Okefenokee ride back in the early 1970s, and he apparently filed some very specific memories away in the ol' brain.

 

OK - Tim nails it! Although, I really don't believe Tony B ripped it off from Six Flags - I think he just loves the Song Of The South characters.... With Victory Thru Air Power now out - why don't we have this on DVD????? They could get Maltin to do an intro explaining the cultural signifigance of it, I'm sure...

 

Gotta love those preemptive apologies. I understand the need to explain some of them (the Japanese caricatures are pretty extreme) but did you notice on teh Donald set, he warns that Donald plays a flute and makes a string dance like an Indian Snake Charmer. There is no costume or funny expression involved, Donald merely plays the flute, and Mr. Maltin cautions that "no offense was intended". Has this gone just a bit too far?

I'm sure if the Bears ever made a return to DL in a new attraction, we could expect a warning sign so as not to insult the Hillbilly population. Or perhaps a lifelike Leonard Maltin AA?

 

I'm sorry, but are you sure Leonard Maltin isn't an AA figure now? Those green screens on the Walt Disney treasures DVD and the lighting on Maltin makes me wonder. . .

Anyway, my apologies to Mr. Maltin if my insinuation may have offended him, or anyone else; and, sorry to take this thread off-topic. (I couldn't resist!)

 

Wow...I'm amazed to hear about this (Dont meet too many people who know what this is. I'm currently workin on a feature article of the Moonshine Run (Moonshine Express was actually it's working name as well). Stay tuned...As soon as I'm done with The article I'll post it.